End of Season Awards: Manager of the Year

Below are my picks for AL and NL Manager of the Year. These are my picks, not predictions.

American League Manager of the Year

Winner: Terry Francona (Cleveland Indians): 102-60, .630 WPCT, best record in American League

Terry Francona may have his superstars (Corey Kluber, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez), but this Indians team was built to win on chemistry more than anything else. While the Astros hit and hit and hit their way to a 101-61 record, Francona's Indians did a little bit of everything. They beat you at all angles with hitting, running, defense, starting pitching, relief pitching, you name it, and while that has as much to do with general manager Mike Chernoff building a great team as it does with Francona managing it, he sure as heck did a great job at that. The Indians got hot at just the right time, winning 22 straight games in August/September, and cruised into the postseason with the top overall seed in the American League. Francona busted the "Curse of the Bambino" in Boston in 2004, and with the Indians in a similar World Series drought, this one could be next.

Runner-up: Paul Molitor (Minnesota Twins): 85-77, .525 WPCT, 2nd AL Wild Card

Molitor's Twins had a very up and down season. After finishing 59-103 in 2016, garnering the league's worst record, they completely turned it around this year and looked like they were contending heading into the Trade Deadline. They acquired Jaime Garcia, but quickly got cold and flipped Garcia to the Yankees and closer Brandon Kintzler to the Nationals. Then, they got hot again, and by the end of the season, finished with the second AL Wild Card at 85-77. They ultimately lost the AL Wild Card Game to the Yankees, but it was a crazy ride for a team that was the worst in baseball just a year ago. They had no superstars, instead being led by the likes of Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer, Miguel Sano, Ervin Santana, and Jose Berrios. Molitor was able to fit this team together just enough to squeak what should have been a mediocre team into the playoffs, and that deserves as much credit as anything this year.

Just missed: Joe Girardi (Yankees, 91-71, .562), A.J. Hinch (Astros, 101-61, .623), John Farrell (Red Sox, 93-69, .574)

National League Manager of the Year

Winner: Tony Lovullo (Arizona Diamondbacks): 93-69, .574 WPCT, 1st NL Wild Card

Management may have shipped away Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte for 24 mediocre starts from Shelby Miller (so far), but that hasn't bothered Tony Lovullo. The D-Backs manager has taken a team led by Paul Goldschmidt, J.D. Martinez, Zack Greinke, and Robbie Ray, and pushed it to the third best record in the NL behind only the Dodgers and Nationals. He has gotten big breakout seasons out of pitchers Ray, Zack Godley, Taijuan Walker, and Archie Bradley, and he oversaw the transformation of Martinez from great hitter to demigod, powering the D-Backs through baseball's toughest division.

Runner-up: Bud Black (Colorado Rockies): 87-75, .537 WPCT, 2nd NL Wild Card

There is no tougher place to win than Colorado. It's nearly impossible to attract big name pitchers, and the Coors Field effect actually hurts the team on the road to the point where the hitters perform well below their park adjusted averages from home. Still, Bud Black took this team through the toughest division in baseball to an 87-75 record, and it wasn't in the same way most Rockies teams do it. When the Rockies do win, they usually do it through a plethora of hitting and just enough pitching to get by. This year, it was the opposite, despite a rotation full of rookies. While Jon Gray took a big step forward in his sophomore season, rookie starters Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, and Antonio Senzatela all exceeded expectations in a big way during their first tastes of the majors. Overall, the team posted a 4.51 ERA, good for 17th in baseball, which is actually amazing when you start to park adjust it. In pitching fWAR, they ranked eighth (18.2), and in ERA-, or park and league adjusted ERA, they ranked seventh (90, or 10% better than league average). Meanwhile, with Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado being the only consistent bats, their team wRC+ of 87 (13% worse than league average) ranked 27th in baseball. Overall, they won because Bud Black and his coaches were able to bring along young pitching in the toughest of environments and do it well.

Just missed: Dave Roberts (Dodgers, 104-58, .642), Craig Counsell (Brewers, 86-76, .531), Dusty Baker (Nationals, 97-65, .599)

End of Season Awards: Reliever of the Year

These are my picks for the AL and NL Relievers of the Year. These are my picks, not predictions.

American League Reliever of the Year

Winner: Craig Kimbrel (Boston Red Sox): 5-0, 1.43 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 35 SV, 126/14 K/BB

From 2012-2014, Craig Kimbrel was arguably the best reliever in baseball, never posting an ERA above 1.61 and striking out at least 95 in each season. 2015 and 2016 were not nearly as great, with his ERA spiking to 3.40 in 2016 as he wasn't much more than an average closer. He bounced back in a huge way this year, dropping his ERA to 1.43 and posting an incredible 0.68 WHIP. His component ratios were absolutely ridiculous, as he struck out 49.6% (!) of the batters he faced while walking just 5.5% over 69 innings, totaling 126 strikeouts to 14 walks. To put that in perspective, he struck out, on average, every other batter he faced while walking just one in 18. There's no chance for bloopers to fall in or for you defense to make errors when you strike everybody out.

Runner-up: Chad Green (New York Yankees): 5-0, 1.83 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 103/17 K/BB

Green was actually better in relief than the overall numbers show, as he allowed two earned runs in two innings in his lone start on June 11th. Using only his 39 relief appearances, he put up a 1.61 ERA, a 0.72 WHIP, and a 100/16 strikeout to walk ratio over 67 innings. Bringing it back to include that one start, the Yankee reliever struck out 40.7% of those he faced while walking just 6.7%, establishing himself as an elite reliever despite having just 45.2 major league innings under his belt prior to this season. The 26 year old out of the University of Louisville was also incredibly consistent, never posting month by month WHIP's of 0.75 in May followed by 0.78, 0.71, 0.71, and 0.75. His ERA also never climbed above 2.84 for any individual month, avoiding cold streaks while maintaining a high level of dominance.

Just missed: David Robertson (1.84 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 98/23 K/BB), Andrew Miller (1.44 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 95/21 K/BB), Chris Devenski (2.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 100/26 K/BB)

National League Reliever of the Year

Winner: Kenley Jansen (Los Angeles Dodgers): 5-0, 1.32 ERA, 0.75 WHIP,  41 SV, 109/7 K/BB

It didn't get much more automatic in the ninth inning than when Kenley Jansen was on the mound. The Dodger closer posted a 1.32 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP, striking out 42.2% of the batters he faced while walking a minuscule 2.7%, or just seven total across 68.1 innings. He actually didn't walk his first batter until his 31st appearance of the season, occurring on June 25th. From May 23rd to June 29th, he was as good as it gets, tossing 17 shutout innings while allowing just four hits and one walk (0.29 WHIP) with 21 strikeouts. At this point, with seven straight seasons of at least 50 innings and 80 strikeouts, having never posted an ERA above 2.85 or a WHIP above 1.13, Jansen may be the best reliever in the game.

Runner-up: Pat Neshek (Philadelphia Phillies/Colorado Rockies): 5-3, 1.59 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 1 SV, 69/6 K/BB

Very quietly, Pat Neshek was as good as anybody this year out of the Philadelphia and Colorado bullpens. Starting off with 43 appearances for the Phillies, he posted a 1.12 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP while striking out 45 batters (30.4%) and walking six (4.1%) in 40.1 innings. Out of contention, the Phillies shipped him to Colorado, where he had to pitch half of his games in Coors Field. Understandably, his stats took a hit, but he was still very good, posting a 2.45 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP, striking out 24 (27.6%) and walking just one batter (1.1%) over 22 innings. Combined, that's a 1.59 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and a 69 to six strikeout to walk ratio (29.4% to 2.6%). Had he not gained some publicity for the mid-season trade, he may have been the most under-talked about reliever in the game.

Just missed: Felipe Rivero (1.67 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 88/20 K/BB), Archie Bradley (1.73 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 79/21 K/BB), Brad Hand (2.16 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 104/20 K/BB)

End of Season Awards: Rookie of the Year

Below are my picks for the AL and NL Rookie of the Year Awards. These are my picks, not predictions.

American League Rookie of the Year

Winner: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees): 52 HR, 114 RBI, .284/.422/.627 slash, .430 wOBA, 173 wRC+, 9 SB, 8.2 fWAR

Come on now, this one is easy. The 25 year old led AL rookies in games (155), runs (128), home runs (52), RBI (114), walks (127), on-base percentage (.422), OPS (1.049), wOBA (.430), wRC+ (173), and fWAR (8.2), setting the rookie record with his 52 home runs. What Judge did was nothing short of historic, and he'll easily win the AL ROY unanimously.

Runner-up: Andrew Benintendi (Boston Red Sox): 20 HR, 90 RBI, .271/.352/.424 slash, .332 wOBA, 103 wRC+, 20 SB, 2.2 fWAR

The Best of the Rest is Andrew Benintendi, a pre-season frontrunner for this award who played roughly as expected. In 151 games, the Boston left fielder slashed .271/.352/.424 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, providing a little bit of power, speed, on-base ability, and defense. Just two years removed from college ball at the University of Cincinnati, he has been a key piece of the Red Sox run, and he's likely not done ascending. It was a very good season for a rookie, but in the year of Judge, it will have to be second place.

Honorable mention: Trey Mancini (Baltimore Orioles): 24 HR, 78 RBI, .293/.338/.488 slash, .349 wOBA, 117 wRC+, 1 SB, 1.8 fWAR

Trey Mancini doesn't provide the same defensive value as Benintendi, but he's been one of the best rookie hitters in the game this year. Over 147 games, he slashed .293/.338/.488 with 24 home runs, leaving some to be desired in the on-base percentage category but for the most part producing at an above-league-average pace. He actually had a 17 game hitting streak from September 11th to September 29th, which only ended because he was walked twice on the 30th. Never a top prospect coming up out of Notre Dame, Mancini has hit his way into being a productive major leaguer.

Just missed: Yulieski Gurriel (18 HR, .299/.332/.486, 1.8 fWAR), Jordan Montgomery (9-7, 3.88 ERA, 1.23 WHIP), Parker Bridwell (10-3, 3.64 ERA, 1.20 WHIP)

National League Rookie of the Year

Winner: Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers): 39 HR, 97 RBI, .267/.352/.581 slash, .380 wOBA, 138 wRC+, 10 SB, 4.0 fWAR

This year won't have any suspense when it comes to Rookie of the Year winners. Judge will win unanimously in the AL, and Bellinger should be the unanimous NL ROY. Despite not coming up until April 25th, he blasted 39 home runs and got on base at a .352 clip, including a stretch where he hit 12 home runs in 15 games from June 10th to June 25th. He couldn't quite keep up with Aaron Judge (who can?) but the final line was pretty incredible for a kid who turned 22 mid-season. Not surprisingly, he led NL rookies in runs (87), doubles (26), home runs (39), RBI (97), and fWAR (4.0), and he would have led in most rate stats had it not been for 50 games of Rhys Hoskins. On top of everything, he has the prettiest swing in baseball with a violent uppercut. 

Runner-up: Paul DeJong (St. Louis Cardinals): 25 HR, 65 RBI, .285/.325/.532 slash, .359 wOBA, 122 wRC+, 1 SB, 3.0 fWAR

DeJong very quietly put together an excellent rookie season, slugging 25 home runs with a .325 on-base percentage and solid defense at a premium position, shortstop. Perhaps the only flaw in the 23-24 year old rookie's game was his lack of walks (21, or 4.7% of his plate appearances), but with all the other factors of his game, the Cardinals should be willing to be patient on the development of his, you could say, patience. He avoided long slumps, never posting an OPS below .739 in any month, and clubbing at least five home runs in each of his four full months from June onward. Don't look now, but DeJong could become a Jhonny Peralta-type player for the Cardinals, providing long term value but with a little more power than Peralta. 

Honorable mention: Kyle Freeland (Colorado Rockies): 11-11, 4.10 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 107/63 K/BB

Don't let the high-ish ERA and WHIP fool you; Freeland has been excellent this year for the Rockies. Pitching in the toughest of conditions, he managed to put up a respectable line that would look good for any rookie, regardless of Coors Field-status. Somehow, he was actually better at Coors (3.72 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) than he was on the road (4.57 ERA, 1.57 WHIP), though it's understandable that a 24 year old rookie might have trouble pitching in unfamiliar parks. Overall, though, he put up better numbers than most other rookie starters, even those that didn't have to make 19 appearances (16 starts) at Coors Field.

Just missed: Ian Happ (24 HR, .253/.328/.514, 1.8 fWAR), Josh Bell (26 HR, .255/.334/.466, 0.8 fWAR), Luis Castillo (3-7, 3.12 ERA, 1.07 WHIP)

End of Season Awards: Cy Young

Below are my picks for the AL and NL Cy Young Awards. These are my picks, not predictions.

American League Cy Young

Winner: Corey Kluber (Cleveland Indians): 18-4, 2.25 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 265/36 K/BB

Corey Kluber only made 29 starts, but he still eclipsed 200 innings for the fourth straight season and was as good as any pitcher in baseball. In those 29 starts, he posted a 2.25 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and an excellent 265/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 203.2 innings, making for a percent ratio of 34.1% to 4.6%. He may have been the single biggest reason the Indians were able to go from good to great as the season progressed, as his season didn't really get going until June. Over his first six starts, he went 3-2 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP, though that did include a three hit shutout of the White Sox on April 21st. Then, in his sixth start, he hurt his back, and he didn't return until June 1st. From that point on, Kluber was untouchable, going 15-2 with a 1.61 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP, striking out 224 and walking 23 in 167.1 innings. Aside from shutting out the White Sox on April 21st, he shut out the Orioles in Baltimore on June 19th while striking out eleven, and on September 12th, he shut out the Tigers on five hits. After the injury, he allowed more than three earned runs in a start just once and never allowed more than four, holding opponents to one or zero in fifteen of the 23 starts.

Runner-up: Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox): 17-8, 2.90 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 308/43 K/BB

Sale was almost as good as Kluber this year, keeping his ERA below 3.00 in a hitters' park, but the real story was the strikeouts. With 308, Sale had the most in a single season since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling struck out 334 and 316, respectively, for the 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks. His season was up and down, highlighted by rough patches but also including absolute gems for starts. On April 20th, he shut down the Blue Jays for no runs, four hits, one walk, and thirteen strikeouts over eight innings. He was similarly untouchable against the Yankees on July 15th (7.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 13 K's), the Rays on August 8th (8 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 13 K's), the Blue Jays on August 29th (7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 11 K's), and the Orioles on September 20th (8 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 13 K's). When he was on, there was no better pitcher in the American League than Chris Sale.

Honorable mention: Luis Severino (New York Yankees): 14-6, 2.98 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 230/51 K/BB

He wasn't quite on the level of Kluber or Sale, but this was a pleasantly surprising season we saw from the 23 year old Yankee starter. After going 3-8 with a 5.83 ERA last year, Luis Severino turned it around to go 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP, striking out 230 batters in 193.1 innings (29.4% of those faced) to lead the Yankees to the Wild Card. There were some bumps along the way, but Severino was very consistent for the most part, allowing two or fewer earned runs in 20 of his 31 starts. Overall, he finished third in the American League in ERA (2.98) and WHIP (1.04) as well as fourth in strikeouts (230) while pitching his home games in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium.

Just missed: Carlos Carrasco (18-6, 3.29 ERA, 1.10 WHIP), Justin Verlander (15-8, 3.36 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), Dallas Keuchel (14-5, 2.90 ERA, 1.12 WHIP)

National League Cy Young

Winner: Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals): 16-6, 2.51 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 268/55 K/BB

It's very close between Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw, but having the edge in innings pitched and WHIP will be enough to give Scherzer the award in my book. Through over 200 innings, he posted a 2.51 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and 268 strikeouts (34.4% of batters faced), leading the three headed monster of a Nationals rotation to the second best record in the NL. In 23 of his 31 starts, he allowed two or fewer earned runs, giving the Nationals the chance to win nearly every time he went out there. This marks three straight seasons for Scherzer with a sub-3.00 ERA, a sub-1.00 WHIP, more than 200 innings, and more than 260 strikeouts, making his the Nationals look better and better for signing him to that seven year megadeal.

Runner-up: Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers): 18-4, 2.31 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 202/30 K/BB

Had he not missed a month with a back injury, Kershaw likely would hold the top spot here. Despite making just 27 starts, he still threw 175 innings (averaging well into the seventh inning), and he was as good on a per inning basis as any pitcher in baseball. His 2.31 ERA and 0.95 WHIP may be his highest marks since 2012 (he still led the NL in ERA and was second in WHIP), but teams rarely got the chance to do much of anything against Kershaw. In 16 of his 27 starts, he allowed no more than one earned run. He also never allowed more than two runs in back to back starts, showcasing an ability to avoid slumps. His career ERA and WHIP now sit at 2.36 and 1.00, respectively, through nearly 2000 innings. At this point, it's not out of the question that he could find his name carrying the same weight as Walter Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, and Pedro Martinez.

Honorable mention: Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals): 15-4, 2.52 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 204/47 K/BB

Strasburg only made 28 starts, but he still tossed 175.1 innings and went on a crazy run at the end of the season. He was pretty good in the first half (9-3, 3.43 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), but in the second half, he rivaled Corey Kluber for the most dominant pitcher in baseball. Over ten starts, he went 6-1 with a 0.86 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP, striking out 76 batters in 62.2 innings while allowing just six earned runs. That included a 35 inning scoreless streak that only ended on an unearned run, though Strasburg may have a tough time winning the award considering that to many analysts, he wasn't the best pitcher on his own team.

Just missed: Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20 ERA, 1.07 WHIP), Robbie Ray (15-5, 2.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 2.96 ERA, 1.18 WHIP)

End of Season Awards: MVP

Below are my picks for the AL and NL MVP's. These are my picks, not predictions

American League Most Valuable Player

Winner: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees): 52 HR, 114 RBI, .284/.422/.627 slash, .430 wOBA, 173 wRC+, 9 SB, 8.2 fWAR

One of the greatest rookie seasons in history came to a close with the end of the regular season, with Aaron Judge setting the rookie record with 52 home runs in 155 games for the Yankees. It took him just 82 games to reach 30 home runs, then after hitting just seven over his next 48 games, he finished with 15 in his final 25 games get the Yankees to the Wild Card. His .185/.353/.326 August, which included just three home runs, knocked him out of the top spot for MVP contention, but his September turned back all the doubters when he slashed .311/.463/.889 with 15 home runs, the 15 home runs and .889 slugging percentage being his highest marks for any month. He may have finished with 208 strikeouts, but when he hit the ball, it was going somewhere, as he slugged 1.018 on balls he actually made contact with. For reference, that's an expected value of more than one base just for making contact. When everything is put together, Judge the American League in home runs (52), runs scored (128), walks (127), and fWAR (8.2), all by surprisingly wide margins. The next best in each of those stats, respectively, were Khris Davis (43 HR), Jose Altuve (112 runs), Edwin Encarnacion (104 walks), and Altuve (7.5 fWAR). Mike Trout was able to top Judge in most rate stats, so Judge's .422 on-base percentage, .627 slugging percentage, 1.049 OPS, .430 wOBA, and 173 wRC+ were just behind Trout, but Judge gets the edge due playing 41 more games than his counterpart.

Runner-up: Jose Altuve (Houston Astros): 24 HR, 81 RBI, .346/.410/.547 slash, .405 wOBA, 160 wRC+, 32 SB, 7.5 fWAR

For much of the second half of the season, Altuve was engaged in a race with the slumping Aaron Judge for the AL MVP Award, and even looked like a frontrunner for stretches. However, Judge caught fire again in September, and Altuve's relatively pedestrian final month (.296/.390/.442, 3 HR) allowed Judge to take back over. This takes nothing away from the monster season that Altuve had, as the 5'5" second baseman proved  in hits (204) and batting average (.346) while also stealing 32 bases and knocking 24 home runs. Much of that was buoyed by a stretch of hitting between June 27th and July 28th that can be described as nothing short of insane. Over that 24 game stretch, Altuve slashed .510/.549/.765 with four home runs and nine stolen bases, raising his slash line from .319/.393/.521 to .369/.433/.585. At least in my book, it is a second straight season of just missing the award, but if he keeps hitting like this, he will win one eventually.

Honorable Mention: Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels): 33 HR, 72 RBI, .306/.442/.629 slash, .437 wOBA, 181 wRC+, 22 SB, 6.9 fWAR

Had Trout played a full season, he likely would have beaten out Aaron Judge for his third AL MVP Award. Unfortunately, a thumb injury forced him to miss nearly two months, and playing in 114 games, he was "only" able to be the third most valuable player in the AL. In those 114 games, though, he was a one-man wrecking crew, leading the AL in most rate stats, including on-base percentage (.442), slugging percentage (.629), OPS (1.071), wOBA (.437), and wRC+ (181). Additionally, he finished third in fWAR (6.9) and walks (94) despite playing 40+ fewer games than the players ahead of him. He did this all with virtually no protection in the lineup (hence the 94 walks, or an 18.5% rate), creating his own production and punishing opposing teams. He also posted his second straight 20-20-20-.400 season (HR, SB, 2B, OBP) and the third of his career (would be fourth if not for a .399 OBP in 2012). He now has 54.4 career fWAR, 156th all time and easily the most among players with fewer than 1000 games (next is 1880's second baseman Fred Dunlap at 39.5).

Just missed: Corey Kluber (18-4, 2.25 ERA, 0.87 WHIP), Jose Ramirez (29 HR, .318/.374/.583, 6.6 fWAR), Chris Sale (17-8, 2.90 ERA, 0.97 WHIP)

National League Most Valuable Player

Winner: Giancarlo Stanton (Miami Marlins): 59 HR, 132 RBI, .281/.376/.631 slash, .410 wOBA, 156 wRC+, 2 SB, 6.9 fWAR

As it turns out, our two MVP's are very similar players. In fact, Aaron Judge was frequently compared to Giancarlo Stanton as a "best case scenario" as he was rising through the minors, and look what we've got. As it turns out, Stanton had a pretty fantastic season in his own right, cracking 59 home runs in a pitchers' park while setting career highs in every offensive category except walks, batting average, and on-base percentage. Stanton led the National League in home runs (59), RBI (132), and slugging percentage (.631), meanwhile finishing second in fWAR (6.9), wRC+ (156), OPS (1.007), and runs scored (123) and third in wOBA (.410). In addition, he did so in Marlins Park, which isn't the most hitter-friendly venue, didn't have a significant amount of lineup protection outside Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich, and played solid outfield defense, saving runs with his cannon arm. Perhaps the most notable piece of his season was a 25 game stretch from August 4th to August 29th, when he cracked 18 home runs, drove in 36, scored 27 runs, and slashed .387/.532/1.032 to place himself in the MVP race. Despite slashing just .245/.355/.509 with eight home runs in September/October, he was able to hold on in the absence of Bryce Harper, combining some of the best offense in baseball with enough defense to earn the MVP award.

Runner-up: Joey Votto (Cincinnati Reds): 36 HR, 100 RBI, .320/.454/.578 slash, .428  wOBA, 165 wRC+, 5 SB, 6.6 fWAR

Nobody in baseball hit like Joey Votto this year. If he provided any defensive value at all, he'd be the easy MVP, but as a first baseman in a hitters' park, he'll take the runner-up slot. Votto this year led the NL in games played (all 162), walks (134), on-base percentage (.454), OPS (1.032), wOBA (.428), and wRC+ (165), being as close to a machine at the plate as you can get. This is the third time in his career he has tallied more than 130 walks in a season, but although walks are his calling card, he does much more. When he was actually swinging, the Reds first baseman cracked 36 home runs and 34 doubles, slugged .578, and struck out just over once every other game (83 total). It actually took him a little bit of time to get going this year, as he slashed .237/.333/.539 with six home runs through his first 21 games. Then, in 141 games from April 26th onwards, he slashed .333/.472/.584 with 30 home runs, a pace nobody else in baseball could keep up with.

Honorable Mention: Anthony Rendon (Washington Nationals): 25 HR, 100 RBI, .301/.403/.533 slash, .394 wOBA, 142 wRC+, 7 SB, 6.9 fWAR

The National League's fWAR leader isn't Stanton, Votto, Blackmon, or Bryant, but Anthony Rendon. By combining excellent offense and defense, his numbers fit Fangraphs just right to make him, according to their data evaluation, the most valuable player in the NL. I don't fully trust their defensive evaluation, but Rendon had a darn good season. Sparked by arguably the greatest single-game performance of the season on April 30th, Rendon posted an on-base percentage north of .400 while adding power (25 HR, 41 doubles) and amazing defense at third base. As of the morning of April 30th, his season actually wasn't going too well, as he was slashing .226/.316/.250 without a home run through the season's first 22 games. Then, against the Mets in game 22, he cracked out six hits: two singles, a double, and three home runs, while scoring five runs and driving in ten. From that game on, he slashed .316/.420/.590 with 25 home runs over 126 games, of course with some of the best defense in the league at third base. Rendon was one major reason that when potential MVP Bryce Harper went down in August, the Nationals were able to keep hitting and winning in his absence (with a shoutout to Ryan Zimmerman).

Just missed: Charlie Blackmon (37 HR, .331/.399/.601, 6.5 fWAR), Kris Bryant (29 HR, .295/.409/.537, 6.7 fWAR), Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA, 0.90 WHIP)